


long story short, i survived

by martygalwrites



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: 2020 election - Freeform, American Politics, Angst, BUT this is my Christmas gift to my dear friend Julie, Based on an AU that she wrote a couple years ago, F/M, Fluff, MARTY EDITION, Merry Christmas!, This is not Christmas themed at all, ily julie, is it annoying to call this a 2020 au, together you and i (could teach love a thing or two)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-25
Updated: 2020-12-25
Packaged: 2021-03-10 17:15:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,870
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28310751
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/martygalwrites/pseuds/martygalwrites
Summary: Mike and El - pandemic, remote learning and election edition
Relationships: Eleven | Jane Hopper/Mike Wheeler
Comments: 4
Kudos: 32





	long story short, i survived

**Author's Note:**

  * For [FateChica](https://archiveofourown.org/users/FateChica/gifts).
  * Inspired by [together, you and i (could teach love a thing or two)](https://archiveofourown.org/works/14671929) by [FateChica](https://archiveofourown.org/users/FateChica/pseuds/FateChica). 



> This lovely lil thing is a Christmas prezzie for my very special pal Julie. What a dedicated, intelligent, reassuring and steadfast friend you are! – through the absolute insanity of this godforsaken year, you have been such a light to all of us. I appreciate you so. I was so honored (and also humbled) to draw your name for fagin and the gang's secret santa! :)
> 
> My gift isn’t Christmassy per se, but it definitely has a deeper meaning to our friendship. I was in Chicago on Nov. 7th, which was the day that the 2020 election results were finally confirmed, and I truthfully don't know if I would have made it if not for Julie. I'll never forget it. I know a couple of love birds who also live in Chicago who won’t want to forget it either.
> 
> When I moved to Chi-city, "together you and i" was such an obsession of mine. I loved the idea of Mike and El in being in Chicago. I probably refreshed Julie's page once a day for updates. Look how far we've come.
> 
> Without further ado, please enjoy a humble fan’s brief continuation of "together you and i (could teach love a thing or two)" by fatechica. Julie, I hope you love it. Merry Christmas

The sun was shining and the sky was a rich blue, probably the brightest she’d ever seen. At least it felt that way, considering how dark and gloomy and cave-like the past several days had been.

No, the last several months.

El sat in the chaise lounge next to the window on the first floor of her home – _their_ home – with an opened book in her lap. It was supposed to be a healthy distraction from the blaring television that she had muted behind her. Muted, but never off. She could still see the harsh light reflecting off her window.

She grew bored with feigning focus on her book, so she settled on people watching.

It was a beautiful day for November. Although the typical grey skies and threat of precipitation in some form had been in the forecast since early October, today was unseasonably warm. People were out and about, running their Saturday errands, trying out the world away from their television and laptop screens, looking for a bite to eat or a cup of coffee that wasn’t prepared in their own home. Such luxuries now.

All of the madness began in March, but it was difficult to complain, because everyone was going through the ringer in some way. Mike did remind her pretty frequently, however, that they were allowed to complain. The pair of them are _educators._ Recently _married_ educators at that.

What was supposed to be an extended Spring Break (and much to El’s excitement, just a _whole extra weeks’ worth_ of time to spend with her very favorite person) faded into a month. In that month came online classes and fumbling with network connections and _how on earth do you teach a dance class virtually?_

Everyone was at their wits end by summer, and hopes for a return to normal were at an all-time low. And they kept getting lower as the days droned on. Individually, they went by slowly. But when El looked back on them, they were all a blur – she could barely remember details. All she saw was Mike and takeout and the ring light she used when video conferencing with students.

After one or two spats born out of stress and exhaustion, they’d developed a pretty solid system. El would teach her dance classes – one in the morning and one in the afternoon – upstairs in a makeshift studio Mike had helped her assemble by moving all the furniture in the upstairs guest room to the attic for the time being.

She had purchased a few mirrors from discount stores and ran up to the school one day to borrow a few feet of bar from the studio and that was about it. Her laptop was perched up on a stool and she lit ever lamp she could find to make sure the lighting was okay. Most of her students didn’t have an at home studio, but she was so proud of their creativity. It became one of her favorite parts of the school day. It was encouraging that they were finding ways to soldier on, just like she had.

Mike, on the other hand, had spent all of his time crossing his wires. And those wires knotted up into giant balls of pressure and tension and stress. Teaching science courses virtually was a challenge for him, and although El had never known him to shy away from a challenge, she still tried her best to take extra good care of him. He was at his wits end by finals in May. He sat at his desk in his office and tried to teach chemistry equations and complicated physics concepts to burned out high schoolers for 7 periods a day. Of course he was tired.

“I’ll be thrilled if they retained even _one_ bit of information from me,” she remembered him saying, after a particularly long day. “I haven’t done my job, but at least they’ll have learned something.”

They’d been married for about a year, but El had never seen him so dejected.

He hadn’t even wanted to write anything. All those articles that she’d read online talking about quarantine being good for creators and writers and authors seemed like utter bullshit. Mike was lost in this new world, and she felt for him. She just spent her time being his wife – loving him and being what he needed, and hoping that he would find his stride eventually.

Summer had been nice. There was the warmer weather and sunnier skies. Their house was close to one of El’s favorite parks by the lake, and they would go on walks together or spend an afternoon at the lakefront. They didn’t get to see their friends very much for the sake of being careful about the spread, which she knew was wearing down on both of them. El knew if they could sit outside on a hammock and listen to Dustin preach on about the Mandalorian from a distance and drink a beer or two, they’d be okay. So that’s what they did.

They went back to the school in August to prepare for in person learning in September. None of the staff agreed about what to do for the upcoming semester. Being a private school, they were not subject to follow the rules set by Chicago Public Schools, but every teacher, every administrator, every member of the support staff and every single parent had an opinion. They had needs. They had fears. The school decided to move forward with in person learning, with an opt-out option for everyone.

Mike of course was thrilled to get back in the classroom, but it didn’t last long. About one month of teaching to masked students, and they were all virtual by October. They still had the option of teaching in their classrooms – which helped a little bit – but it still hurt to be back in square one.

Which led to November. Mike had chosen today, of all days, to make a grocery run. They were out of vitamin C supplements, among other necessities, and Mike simply _insisted_ that he had to make a trip to the neighborhood Walgreens. Most likely, he was making an excuse to get some fresh air, and she didn’t blame him. She knew that he needed a break, she did too. That’s why she was currently facing away from her muted television, book in hand, staring out the window and reflecting on how absolutely unpredictable and abhorrent their past several months had been.

On Tuesday, dreaded Election Day, they had made sure all grading was complete and all assignments were accounted for, so that they could focus on what was to come. The both of them had voted in the general election by mail, so there was no need to head out to the polls all dolled up and festive. Only thing to do was wait for 5 p.m. and watch the results roll in. Mike ordered a pizza from Pizano’s – her favorite, as far as pizza goes – and El made sure to have a good bottle of wine handy. It was a neutral meal – not one for mourning or celebration.

El never liked to think about politics – too much arguing. Mike was usually fascinated by it – he loved a good and smart debate. The both of them, however, had been completely burnt out by the previous four years of American politics. It wasn’t entertaining or intellectual to discuss politics anymore. It was exhausting. As if this year wasn’t exhausting enough.

El and Mike spent Election night glued to their living room TV screen, eating pizza, drinking wine and ranting about whatever was being said by the host. El almost broke a wine glass and permanently stained the carpet when Florida went red, but Mike was always quick to assure her that the results would fluctuate for a while.

“Okay, maybe Florida’s a lost cause,” Mike said, knocking back the last bit of his (third?) glass of wine. “Doesn’t mean we’re totally screwed.”

El wasn’t convinced. They threw in the towel around 2:15 a.m. – they both had minds to mold come morning – but El could barely find sleep. When she woke up, she immediately grabbed her phone, looking for an answer. Glaring bright at 6:37 a.m., there was no resolution.

Instinctively, Mike reacted for her through the sheets that separated them for the brief moment and pulled her back to him. He nuzzled his nose into her hair and breathed in deep.

“I told you, El. It’s going to take a while.”

El grunted, but gave in to him anyway. He was too persuasive. He didn’t say much, but he was still persuasive.

“Try and get some rest – one more hour?” He asked. He dozed back off, but El couldn’t quite relax. Even in the happiest and safest place in the world, she couldn’t relax.

It would have been doable for one day. But the week stretched on and El was a whole new brand of absolutely _drained_. She’s used the word _drained_ to describe to her dad how she felt every day after her superior wrapped up a staff meeting with more discouraging news. She used it to describe how well the city’s resources were holding up in response to the pandemic – it seemed like mass chaos with no hope in sight.

El had nothing but love for the people who worked in healthcare. El knew she was lucky – Mike being a very successful published author (and screenwriter!) and all. They lived a comfortable life together. Her heart ached for those that weren’t as fortunate. She felt helpless, frozen and selfish, but she knew she wasn’t alone.

Humanity has a history of coming back from hard times. Resilient.

“It’s a waiting game, ya know?” Mike would say. “In most key states, you’re waiting on those mail in ballots. Those tend to go left.”

The second day droned on. Then the third day. El felt suffocated.

She couldn’t listen to the same thing being said over and over again. She couldn’t hear them talk about specific counties in Arizona and Nevada. She couldn’t think about Pennsylvania anymore. She couldn’t imagine the other side of this. She couldn’t see a tomorrow.

It seemed like the whole pandemic was this hole they had climbed in. The debates and impending election were a descent to a new low. Darker than dark. There would be no end. There was no use thinking fondly of the brighter beginning. This was life now – this darkness was the new normal.

_God, if El heard someone use the term “new normal” one more time…_

Hopefully Mike would be back soon. They could talk about a late lunch… maybe order some tacos. Or whatever he was craving, she didn’t really care. Anything to focus on other than the never-ending darkness. She knew she wouldn’t be able to focus on her book. Not because she was distracted by her own thoughts, but because one of her neighbors was… beating pots and pans together?

_Why on earth would somebody do that?_

She heard a second pair of pans. And then a third. Maybe they were banging the pots and pans with spoons or something. Buskers normally didn’t make their way this far north – they stayed downtown in the financial district where the tourists with full pockets roamed. But this was no busker. This was no bucket drum. This was something else.

El rose up off the chaise all too quick. Her head spun. She put the book down – not even bothering to mark her place. She didn’t see too many people outside of her window. The people she did see were wearing short sleeves – insanely unusual for the season – and they were all walking quickly, huddled in groups.

_Mike should be back any time now_ , El thought. _How long does it take to pick up a few things?_

“HELL YEAH!”

El jumped upon hearing someone scream from outside.

_What the hell could be so…_

And then it hit her. Like a ton of bricks.

El whipped around and fumbled for the TV remote that was lodged in between couch cushions.

_The one hour I have it on mute…_

Once she toggled the mute button and heard the familiar sound of the anchors talking, she didn’t even hear a word the anchors were saying. She didn’t need to. She could tell by the looks on their faces. The relief in their eyes. The tone of their voice. The tears.

Her first thought was of Mike, naturally, and how he’d have to tell people for the rest of his life that he was in a Walgreens buying vitamins when the results of the 2020 election were confirmed.

_The 2020 election results were confirmed. Joe Biden is going to be the president. America has a woman in the second highest office. A woman. A female Vice President._

Cars were honking now, people were cheering, she was pretty sure she could hear champagne bottles popping off the porches, and champagne hitting the streets. It was nothing but pure, absolute, incredible, sweet joy. Something she hadn’t felt outside of her own home in so, so long.

El wasn’t really in charge of her own body after that. She ran to the window and opened it, letting the breeze and sunshine and sounds of pure happiness pass thought the screen. She grabbed a hat to cover up her dirty hair, her keys, and a mask from the table in the foyer and bolted out the door. She had no clue where she was headed but she had to just – _get out_. She had to be out in this world. This wonderful, happy, cheerful world.

Everyone was being as safe and socially distant as they cared to be. The cheers and car horns and pots and pans were incessant and it was almost impossible to hear herself think. And it was oh so nice to stop thinking.

Smiling at every passerby underneath her mask, El started off in the general direction of the Walgreens, hoping to catch Mike on his way back, but she didn’t need to go very far. She barely took a couple of steps away from their mailbox when she saw him.

Mike was jogging down the sidewalk, and people were cheering him on as he went – plastic bags full of _literally who cares anymore_ in hand. El ran a couple of steps toward him, one two three, and then they crashed into each other. One of the best, most gratifying hugs she’d received from him in a while.

Mike dropped everything he’d been carrying, and scooped her up in his arms. She laughed as he twirled her around in the air before setting her back down on her feet. He let out a laugh, and she hugged him to her again – stepping over a bottle of rogue Emergen-C gummies to get to him.

“Mike. I can’t believe it’s finally over! It’s all finally over.”

She knew this reaction was shock. Even though the numbers were trending their way over the past day and a half, she still had felt, deep down, that this moment could never exist. Not this terrible year, anyway. This kind of relief, this kind of happiness wasn’t possible in the wildest dreams of this year.

Mike pulled his mask down with his pointer finger, and it hugged his chin. El pulled one of the straps of hers off her right ear.

“I told you it was a waiting game. I told you – “

“Shut up,” El said, and then she kissed him. She kissed him like she was taking her first breath after being underwater.

Even though she’d kissed him this morning, and after he got out of the shower, and after he cooked her the rest of the bacon in the fridge, and before he’d left for the store – this kiss was full of passion and reprieve and elation and everything that they had been missing.

He reached up around her waist with his forearms – groceries long forgotten – and spun her around once more. The sounds of celebration continued around them. El knew they weren’t cheering for her and Mike, but it sure felt nice to think that maybe some of them were.

Once they gathered themselves and made their way inside, Mike sauntered over to the refrigerator and pulled out a bottle of champagne.

“I’ve been saving this.”

El jumped and giggled when he popped the bottle open. He grabbed a pair of glasses from their wet bar and poured a healthy splash into each.

“We’ve already hit rock bottom,” he said, toasting his glass with hers. “Nowhere to go but up.”

El reached over to the remote, and for the first time in what felt like a full eternity, turned the TV completely and totally _off_. 

El loved Mike beyond reason – she knew that they were meant to endure this together. For better for worse. What they’d been through this year was the worse. Their path had been dark for so long. El learned, however, that you must keep walking – keep pushing on, even though the road ahead can still seem bleak. But if you just keep walking, the good will come. Good always comes.


End file.
